Furniture leg connection for channel frames



Aug. 1, 1950 D. A.. WALLANCE I FURNITURE LEG CONNECTION FOR CHANNEL FRAMES Filed April 23, 1947 IN VEN TOR. Jana/o Ml/ance 7 flrmR/vEy .IIIIIIi llll Patented Aug. 1, 1950* UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FURNITURE LEG CONNECTION FOR CHANNEL FRAMES" Donald A. Wallance, New York, N.Y. Application mile, 1947, Serial No. 743,325

3 Claims, (Cl.311-110) (Granted under the 'act of March 3, 1883, as

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royaltythereon.

This invention relates to a furniture-leg connection, and more particularly to means for attaching a leg to a channel-iron furniture frame.

It is well known in the furniture art to attach a furniture leg to a furniture body by means of a corner bolt extending inwardly of the frame at an angle of about 45 and passing through the leg. Such a construction has the advantages of being simple and secure, and capable of quick and easy adjustment. However, it has been found that corner bolts are difficult to apply to furniture frames of channel-iron construction, as it is difficult to secure afirm connection between frame and corner bolt which is capable of withstanding the compressive and shearing forces acting on the furniture after connection of the leg. This difiiculty has heretofore imposed a limitation on the designing of furniture of channel-iron construction, and has thus compelled the art to forego to. a large. extent the strength, rigidity and agreeable appearance of a channeliron'frame.

It is thus one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide novel means for associating a corner bolt connection plate with a channel-iron furniture frame.

Another object of the invention isacorner bolt connection plate associated with a channel-- iron furniture frame in such a manner that the frame is strengthened by such association.

amended April 30, 1928; 370

A further object of this invention is a simple and inexpensive support for a furniture corner bolt, which can be'easily and cheaply made of conventional construction material.

Still another object of this invention is a device for attaching a furniture leg to a .channelframe in such a manner that the furniture leg is in area contact with the device which forms a hearing surface therefor, but out of contact with the web of the channel frame and in not more than line contact with the flanges of the frame.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will readily appear from the following description thereof in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

Fig. i is a perspective view of a table having a channel-iron apron and legs attached hereto by novel means in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of an embodiment of my furniture-leg at- 0. G. 757) 2 tachment means just prior the furniture frame;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along 1ines 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. .5 is a sectional view corresponding to the view presented in Fig. 3, but showing a modified form of my furniture-leg attachment means.

My invention consists briefly of a plate having an angled web and perpendicular. flanges interfitting with the channel of a channel-iron furniture frame, and associated therewith one or more corner bolts extending inwardly for the'attachment of a furniture leg.

More particularly, reference numeral l0 denotes a channel-iron frame of an item of furniture, which in the appended drawings is represented in the form of a table. The term channel iron is meant to denote any structural material (not necessarily iron), having a web I l and a pair of flanges l2, l2 extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom at its-edges. A construction made of such channel iron material possesses great strength and a pleasing appearance, particularly when the flanges of the frame are directed inwardly and are thus not visible when the completed article is viewed from an ordinary angle of observation. 1 I

The leg connection to such a channel-iron frame in accordance with my invention comprises a short channel-iron plate interfltting with the channel-iron frame lll; namely, web l3 bent at the same angle as a cornerof frame Ill (usually a right angle), and flanges M, M extending perpendicularly from the web in an outward direction. The width of the attachment plate equals the clearance between flanges l2, l2 of frame 19.

"Inone embodiment of my invention, illustrated in Figs. 2 to l of the. drawings, bolts l5, [5' are welded to, or otherwise associated with, the angle plate at the angle enclosed by web l3; a preferred way to accomplish this is to emboss the web 83 outwardly at l6, it to provide seats for the bolt heads ll, ll" in the space between flanges l 4, Id. The shanks of bolts l5, [5 thus extend in a direction opposite the direction of flanges M, M and at an angle precisely or approximately bisecting the angle enclosed by to its assembly with )0 web To assemble frame lll, attachment plate I3. M, M and a furniture leg I 8, the attachment plate is inserted in the frame and connected thereto, e. g., by spot-Welding the flanges l4, I4 to flanges l2, [2. In this manner, web l3 and bolt heads i'l, ll connected thereto are spaced from frame If! by the flanges I l, 14, as is best seen in Figs. 3 and 4. Leg l8, provided with spaced perforations l9, I9, 20, 20, is next put in place by inserting bolts [5, I5 in such perforations. Leg. it! may be either solid, or, preferably because of the lighter weight, hollow. I the case of a hollow leg, I prefer to align spacers 2|, 2! with perforations I9, i9, 20, 20 inwardly of the leg. Finally, nuts 22, 22' are placed over the threaded free ends of bolts 15", t5 andtightened. Where the inner edge of leg 18 slants'a perforated Wedge 23 is advantageously inserted between the leg and the nuts. Spacers .21, 21' prevent, deformation of the hollow leg, which otherwise might result from tightening .nuts 22, 22'; I prefer to make the spacers of resilient material, such as spring steel. ,A secure attachment of the leg to the frame is thus provided through the substantial. bracing contact between angle plate and leg, and the; frame .is protected against deformation at its corners by reason of the bracing action of the attachment-plate.

In a modified form of my invention, illustrated in Fig. 5, an interiorly threaded sleeve, such as nut 24 is welded or: otherwisesecured to embossed seat 1'6"" on the outside of web 113: of a flanged attachment plate. 'In. this modified form, leg 18 (and spacer 2i and wedge 23") are aligned with web [5 to permitv the insertion of separate bolt 25 'therethrough and through. nut 22 whose. bore defines a passageway with an axis precisely or approximately bisectingthe angle. formed by web 13. The length of bolt 25 is such that its threaded end 26 will engage and passthroughthe inner bore of nut 24 but. will nottouch frame 19' 1" have thus described two embodiments of my invention, as applied to a table, and in connecti'en with a hollow tapering furniture leg, as. disclosed and claimed in my two-pendin design patent application. Serial No. ID, 132,187., Furniture 'Leg,=flled August 1, 1946, now Design Patent No. D; 155,369, dated September 27, 1949. However, as has been pointed out, my invention is'equally applicable to other types of furniture and legs with equal advantage. Modifications and adaptations of my invention by. minor changes in dimensions and proportions, or by varying the number of bolts, etc., are readily within the reach of the expert, and thus fall within. the scope of my invention. I therefore desire to be. limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for attaching a furniture leg to a channel frame, comprising an angle plate, an upper and a'lower flange ofsubstantialwidth ex- :tending perpendicularly outwardly from said angle plate, and a bolt. extending inwardly from said angle plate into the angular space enclosed by said angle plate; said angle plate maintaining said furniture leg in substantial bracing. contact,

but in not more than line contact with said channel frame, when said furniture leg, angle plate and channel frame are in assembled relation.

2. In combination with a furniture frame comprising a web forming a corner and a pair of flangesperpendicular to said web: an angle plate paralleling said corner and interfltting with and bracing said frame, said plate having outwardly extending perpendicular flanges abutting against the web of said frame and interfitting with and at least as wide as the inner walls of the flanges of said frame and spacing said plate from said Web, and a. furniture leg attachment bolt extending from said plate in a direction opposite that of said last-named. flanges for securing a furniture leg to said frame; the inner surface of said angle plate forming a bearing surface maintainingsaid furniture. leg in spaced relation from the webofsaid frame for a distance at least equal to the width of the flange walls of said frame.

3. .In combination: a furniture frame comprising a web forming a corner and a pair of flanges perpendicular to said web; a. detachablefurniture leg; an. angle plate paralleling said corner and interfltting with and bracing said frame, said plate having outwardly extending perpendicular flanges abutting against the web of said frame and-.interfitting with. and at least as wide as the inner walls of .the flanges of said frame andspacing, said piatefrom said web, and an interiorly threadedsleeve seated onthe. outside of. and integralwith said plate at the angle formed by said plate; and a. furniture leg attachment bolt having a threaded tip removablyreceived in said sleeve, said bolt extending from said plate in. a direction. opposite that of said last-named flanges for securing the. furniture leg to said frame; the inner surface of said angle plate forming a bearing surface maintaining said furniture leg in spaced relation from the web of said frame for a distance at least equal to the width of the flange walls of said frame.

DONALD A. WALLANCE.

.REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record. in. the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 59 Number Name Date 273,109 Knauss Feb. 27, 1883 1,029,467 Schaffert l Junev v11, 1912 1,372,032 ,M-andry Mar. .22, 1921 1,525,630 Wendi 1---- Feb. 10, 1925 1,549,146 Miner Aug. 11, 1925 1,558,618 Jasper Oct. 27, 19.25 1,770,722 Wright, .July 15, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS no Number Country Date 548,008 Germany Mar. 17, 1932 

